Like many students, Kenney Polson started playing alto saxophone in junior high school (Bakersfield, CA). Enjoying music enough to pursue a career in it, Mr. Polson attended Fresno City College (Fresno, CA) and earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Music. Kenney attended California State University- Fresno and earned a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Music Education. He taught in Fresno, CA for 5 years and afterwards was hired as the instrumental music coordinator at an international school in Bogotá, Colombia for 2 years. Later, he became the instrumental music coordinator in a international school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for 5 years. Kenney left Brazil to earn a master Degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging at Howard University in Washington DC. After graduating, he taught in Beijing, China for one year. Returning to the states, he taught at Merced Community College for 2 years where he directed the Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and the Jazz Ensemble. When he moved to the Portland area he began teaching at Marylhurst University teaching jazz improvisation, jazz arranging, and also directing the jazz ensemble. His first public school teaching assignment in Oregon was at the Arts and Communication Magnet Academy where he took a group of inexperienced musicians to new heights. They first place in several jazz competitions including the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho where they competed against over 20 other bands. Kenney's most recent teaching assignment is at Cleveland High School where he has brought the band program to prominence in the Portland area. The Jazz Band has numerous awards and has also performed with jazz great, Red Holloway.
During all this time, Kenney Polson performed extensively with his own bands as well as others. Kenney Polson has performed with the following national artists: Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Kenny Burrell, Phil Woods, David Sanborn, Frank Wes, Lee Garrett, Gil-Scott Heron, Philip Walker, James Moody, Bill Watrous, Little Richard, Betty Swan and others. He has traveled and performed in over 40 countries.
Kenney Polson’s first smooth jazz CD “Paradise” contains 14 selection, 9 of which were penned by Polson himself. More than half of the CD was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with the nation’s top studio musicians. “No More Lonely Nights” from Paradise earned the number 32 spot on the national adult contemporary charts in 2001. Kenney’s second CD “Serendipity” is a blend of smooth jazz and old school R&B and it includes several national artists. The artists included on “Serendipity” are: Tom Grant (smooth jazz pioneer); Bruce Conte (formerly with Tower of Power); Michael Henderson (formerly with Miles Davis); Phil Upchurch (guitarist with George Benson); Larry Gittens (trumpeter with Kool & The Gang); Marcos Reyes (percussionist with WAR); and Fred Wesley (formerly with James Brown).
Cleveland High School
